Virtual “Playdates”

Are your kiddos missing their play dates with friends? While some have a sibling group, a cousins group, or a pod that they’ve quarantined with, other kiddos are looking for some interaction with classmates and friends with whom they would, in normal circumstances, be plotting play dates :) 

While you may not be ready for the real thing, the kiddos are yearning for connections! 

Virtual “meetings” can be a fun solution, if there is proper planning upfront. What came natural in “before times” may need an assist from a grown-up to get started and be successful :) But then - step aside :) 

Here are some tips for virtual success: 

Think about an ice breaker type activity to get the conversation started - maybe some silly questions or a short game they can manage themselves. 

Some suggestions: 

• Show your favorite stuffed animal - take a few questions. 
• Give a virtual tour of your room or play area. 
• Play a type of the Headbanz game - draw a sketch or write down what your partner is and don’t show or tell them. (Maybe they are a turtle, or a chair, or a flower) your partner asks questions ... Am I alive? Am I an animal? Am I a thing? Am I in a house? etc. until they guess what they are :) 

Then .... 

Choose an activity that can be shared/ done parallel, and agree on activity beforehand. Get supplies together on both ends, but be ready for a spontaneous pivot if interests go elsewhere.

The kiddos in our family like to do virtual “hangouts,” where the interaction isn’t constant but it’s like you’re in the same space, so they pop in to ask a question, show something, etc., with no real expectation of a big outcome :) Keep it short or longer, depending on your kiddos :)

Some possibilities for more structured time might be: 

• Book share - have two copies of the same book and either preread and chat about or read together (like in paired reading in school) and talk about it. Graphic stories might be fun or an interactive book where they have to find something in a picture. 
• Legos - for big Lego fans, simply building together, screen beside screen, and showing what they make can be fun and generate conversation. Building on a theme, like vehicles or dinosaurs, could be the way to go, or just freestyling. 
• Project share - a science activity can be shared, screen to screen, also - it could be as simple as showing off some nature finds and examining them closely. Other things might be color mixing, slime making, play dough cooking (with supervision), or water play. 
• Cookie making - if you have time to be involved, mixing, rolling, cutting, etc. may be fun to do as a screen to screen activity. 

Think of things that draw your child in and hold their attention and then apply this to “distance friendship.”

Even something simple, like just having a snack together, will be beneficial to your child and their friend. In school, snack time is typically the time for socializing a bit, so it’s a natural time to sit and talk. Just like grownups, sometimes kiddos need some sort of construct to get started - but then, it may take off into a fun friendship-building activity! 

Have fun!